Audiotec

Freak Show

Utopia (Israel)

The latest identikit but of semi-on comes courtesy of Audiotec, one of the lower-profile, more forgettable artists to have been spawned from the scrapings of Atomic Pulse’s bathtub over the last few years.

Creation is shiny fullon with a seriously melodic bent. Slight flirtation with breakbeats, euro-friendly melodies and more isra-clichés than you can shake a nord at. Nothing new here, move along please. Liquid World has an interesting intro, which quickly subsides into a desperately nondescript bit of Israeli fullon, that could have been released at any stage in the last four years. Freak Show has some nice moments, the groove created with the sounds used is different and it doesn’t go too over the top; but you would be forgiven for thinking anything “freakish” is going on here.

DJ’s Lovers (sic) is probably the strongest single tune on here. Some tasty acid sounds work well with reverb-heavy background gremlins, and the energy coming thru the speakers is consistent throughout, even if it does go a little to the wrong side of cheesy towards the end. Down Of Time (sic, again) is utterly characterless psy-u-like, Deep Up is so saccharine it makes me wish I had piles to take my mind off just how bad it sounds, and L.S.Dream sounds like it fell off the back of the Phonokol lorry some eighteen months ago.

Waves isn’t too bad, but at this stage in proceedings it’s just boring. The final track is called What Is Reality. I think I can field this one: the reality is that dross like this is what constitutes “psytrance” these days. Audiotec spends the first half of the album finding a formula, and the second half flogging it to death. Plus, I defy anyone to listen this through, then correctly identify any single track played at random; Audiotec himself may find this a challenge.

You know me: I’m one of those brightside, eternally optimistic people. And while this is painful to listen to, impossible to love and embarrassing to be associated with, the silver lining is that maybe – just maybe – this rancid Israeli beast may finally be about to breathe its last.